


Will You Cuddle Me?

by PacificNorthwestGirl



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-12
Updated: 2017-08-12
Packaged: 2018-12-14 07:06:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11777997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PacificNorthwestGirl/pseuds/PacificNorthwestGirl
Summary: Because sometimes all it takes is being snuggled in your favorite arms





	Will You Cuddle Me?

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place roughly 5 years from now. Not considering this an au for that reason - more potential, albeit unlikely, near future?

"Thanks for coming over so Blue could get his energy out.  I love the rascal, but he can be a bit much at times when people are either less willing to play with him constantly or don't have the same energy level he does."  Alex released Ali with a sigh as she moved to Ashlyn.

"Don't we know how that goes," Ashlyn responded, squeezing her former teammate before connecting her arm with her wife's and giving Servando a fist bump. "And thank you for still being in the area, always ready to have us crazies over so many weekends every summer."

"Well, as much of a hardship as it is for me to constantly be outnumbered by all these women, it's only fair when you take us out on your boat for wakeboarding all summer long, Ash."  A smile lit the man's face as he nudged the heavily tattooed brunette with his elbow.  "Besides you're usually good for a beer or two," he continued to tease.

Returning his grin with one of her own, that solo dimple appearing on the corner of her lip, Ash scoffed in mock disapproval.  "So I'm only good for the gifts I bring, am I?"

"And if you really don't like the company, maybe next time I'll come alone and Alex and I can show you what a truly girly day looks like.  Nail painting, hair doing, reality tv watching..." Ali piped in, wearing her signature crinkle-nosed smile to show she was being playful.

"You wouldn't dare," Servando threatened, mock panic behind his eyes.

"Oh, wouldn't I?" she challenged back.  In accompaniment to her words, her lips pursed and hip popped for emphasis.

The other three broke out in laughter at the level of sass with which Ali Krieger was always capable.  Try as she might to be commanding and intimidating, most people couldn't quite get past the constant sparkle in her eyes and her sweet disposition to take her seriously enough, although Ash had fallen victim to her scarier side on more than one occasion in their ten years together.

Good natured as ever, Ali joined in their laughter.  It always seemed to circle back to that when the four of them were all together.

After a few moments, the party was interrupted by a pair of distinctly separate, successive whines.  Both couples glanced down at their legs for the source.  Composing herself, Alex wiped her eyes and kissed her husband on the cheek.

"I'm gonna go in with Blue.  See you guys next week?"

"Absolutely.  We'll be here," Ashlyn promised.  "Hey!  Let's see if we can get Syd and Dom to join with their littles."

"That's a great idea.  I'll talk to Syd this week."  With one last smile and wave, Alex walked inside, the blue-eyed dog on her heels, chocolate fur shimmering.

"We better get back home too, babe."

"Yeah, let's head back.  Thanks again, Serv.  See you next weekend."  With a quick hug, Ashlyn turned away for the short walk with Ali.

Living in such close proximity to good friends and, in the case of Alex Morgan, a long time US and Orlando Pride teammate for nearly six years was such a blessing - not to mention a blast.  So many weekends on the water, barbecues in each other's backyards, and birthday and holiday celebrations had taken place over the years with many more to look forward to.  As the older couple had started to shift their focus for the future and their soccer careers had slowed, culminating in both hanging up their cleats a few years ago, all parties had taken it in stride.  Dynamics changed slightly with Alex remaining with the club, but it hadn't stopped them from still making it a point to get together and incorporate and embrace the changes as they had come.  Now they were settled into a different routine and newer lifestyle.

They reached the curb at the end of the Carrasco driveway with grateful hearts and tired bodies.

Ashlyn noticed Ali struggling slightly with the weight in her right arm.

"Here, babe, let me."

She started to protest.  "I'm okay, it's a short walk."

"Still," Ash insisted, her arms outstretched, unrelenting.

Ali relinquished her burden, Ashlyn easily adjusting to the added weight, and proceeded to lean into her wife, linking arms with the taller woman.

Soon enough they approached their own driveway and Ashlyn deposited her bundle on the floor right inside the door.

Almost immediately after being freed from the restraint, said bundle ran into the living room.

"How can he still have energy leftover?" an exhausted Ashlyn questioned.

"Maybe because he's your son.  He'll be a hard one to tire out for a good while to come, I'd bet," Ali said with a look full of wisdom.

"You're probably right.  But still.  It was so warm today and him and the dog chased each other around for hours.  I don't understand where toddlers store it all," Ashlyn mused.  "How late is it, anyway?  I'm almost ready for bed whether he is or not."

Ali glanced at her phone.  "Nearly eight."

"Is that it?"

The older woman let out a chuckle and a slow nod.  "Yup.  It's official - we're old.  The couple that's ready for bed before their child is when the sun's still up."

"I guess so," Ash agreed, a little baffled when reflecting on how she could stay awake most hours of the night, pre-motherhood and late thirties.

"Well I'll go wrangle the little shark.  You wanna turn the tv on in hopes he'll settle in?"

"Definitely.  Sounds nice and relaxing enough," Ali replied.

As Ash made her way to the living room closely followed by Ali, she noticed the young boy had moved on to the side room where his toys resided.  He was busy rolling cars along the carpeted floor and giggling to himself when she peeked in.

"Hey little man."

He looked up and smiled that replica smile.  "Mama," he answered and ran to her, wrapping his little arms around her calf.

She grabbed him by the sides and kissed him on the head causing him to laugh and squirm away.

"Do you wanna watch something with me and Mommy?"

The child appeared to consider it for a couple seconds before shaking his head.

"No?  But do you wanna cuddle me?"

"Yeah!" he enthused, contradicting his seconds-old decision in true two year old form.

With arms outstretched and toes raised to give him more height, he waited to be lifted and carried to the couch.  Taking the seat next to her wife, Ashlyn nestled in with their boy.

Not three minutes later he wriggled away and went to sit somewhere else.  Finding this seat just as inadequate, he eventually gave up to wander around and distract himself with toys again.

"He's definitely getting tired.  Maybe try a bath and see if he'll give in," Ash heard in a voice at her shoulder that matched, if not exceeded, the exhaustion level she felt.  Ali yawned and kissed Ashlyn's cheek before shifting so the younger woman could rise.

"I was just thinking the same thing.  It usually works anyway."

She kissed the top of her wife's head before retreating to gather up the bundle of energy.

"Wil?  Hey, Wilson, come upstairs with Mama.  We're gonna take a bath," the former goalkeeper said with as much genuine excitement for the event as she could muster.  Truth be told, Wilson's bath time was kind of a favorite of hers too because she could get some of the best laughs and biggest grins from him while he was playing in the water.

The soft pattering of feet came around the corner and Ashlyn was rewarded with an excited smile.  Her son's fist wrapped around her middle finger as she led them up the staircase.

~

  
A half an hour - and so many giggles it roused the interest of the boy's other mother so that she joined in - later, the little family was snuggling back in downstairs in the living room.

As they sat down to try again, Wil released a huge yawn from the seat between Ash and Ali.

"Will you cuddle me again, baby?"  Ashlyn requested as a kid show played on the tv.

"No, no," the toddler teased with a sly grin.

Feeling slightly offended, Ash dropped her jaw.  "You won't cuddle your mother?"  He continued shaking his head and laughed in his halfhearted, tired state.  "Fine, then I guess I'll just drink this milk out of this super cool shark sippy cup."

Before she could bring it to her lips, the child protested and reached for it.  She held it back from him just a bit and he laughed, crawling onto her lap to grasp it.

"Victory," she whisper-celebrated as the blond head snuggled into her shoulder while the young boy took a satisfied drink of the milk that was now safely wrapped in his arms.

"All it took was a little bribery," Ali reprimanded with a twinkle in her eyes.  A smile tugged at her lips in spite of herself.

"Hey, I'll do what it takes.  This is my favorite time of day.  He's quiet, comfy, and smells so good."  With that she took a whiff of his head. Mussing his hair, she placed a kiss to the blond locks.

"You two are pretty adorable, I'm not gonna lie," Ali admitted.

"Only pretty adorable," Ashlyn scoffed.  To prove her point, she rested her cheek on their son's head and tilted her head toward her wife with the sweetest smile she could manage and her best puppy dog eyes, drawing a laugh from the other brunette.

"Ok, no, very adorable.  The cutest things I've ever seen."  She leaned in to kiss each of them on their foreheads and moved to rise.

"Where are you going?  We just sat down for family movie time."

"I have to pee.  Is that alright?"

"Go, go."  Ashlyn shooed Ali off the couch.

With a laugh, Ali stood.  She smoothed her shirt over her stomach and stretched her back before turning to face the other two again.  "I think I'm actually gonna just head to bed instead of coming back out here.  I can barely keep my eyes open.  Pathetic, I know."

"No worries.  We'll head to bed soon, too.  This one's also fading."  She nodded to the drowsy heap on her lap, now completely zoned out, eyes glued to the screen to keep himself awake.

Ali left the room and Ashlyn adjusted her son in her lap.  "You ready to go night-night, bud?"

Wil subtly stirred and inclined his head.  "Yeah," he managed with drooping eyes.

"Ok, let's go, my little Shark."  Here, he showed his teeth just as he'd been taught.  Ashlyn lovingly nuzzled his neck and kissed his cheek.

"I love you little man."  She stood, wrapping both arms around the slender body and the boy snuggled in, laying his head on her shoulder and tucking his arms into her chest.  Climbing the steps slowly, she thought back to nearly two years ago.  
  


~

  
_They sat in the hospital room, both spent and hearts full to bursting with more feelings than either of them thought possible.  Ashlyn stared into the eyes of the tiny human laying across her chest._

  
_It had been a long last twenty hours when, after being five days past her due date, she had finally gone into labor only to progress about as slowly as she thought humanly possible.  Why didn't people warn you that the art of delivering a baby could be such a long process with no reprieve?  She had expected the pain and discomfort, had prepared for it, not that it wasn't still infinitely worse than anything she'd experienced before or likely ever would.  But the arduous job of cramping, contracting, sweating, being allowed nothing but ice chips, every minute drawn into what seemed hours in themselves, feeling like her insides would burst, and thinking that maybe just maybe this baby would never actually make his appearance?  That she had been woefully unprepared for._

_But somehow, with his little body stirring softly in her arms and his teeny tiny fingers clenching her knuckle, Ashlyn couldn't even remember the pain she'd just endured.  Couldn't imagine she'd ever lived without knowing his face and loving him so wholly and completely.  Couldn't comprehend that she had just been cursing and questioning the existence of her own life for the past day.  Tears streamed down her cheeks as she could accomplish nothing more than to grin like a fool._

_"You did so good, baby.  I can't believe he's really ours," Ali said in a soft tone, body curled onto the bed next to her two loves.  "He's so beautiful and perfect.  And I've never been more proud of you in my life."_

_She leaned in to kiss her wife gently on her lips being sure not to cause undue pain to her or the newborn._

_"I've never been so exhausted, yet felt so complete and hopelessly in love in my life either," Ash replied.  "Did I really grow and give birth to this incredible person?"_

_The older brunette chuckled quietly.  "Yes, Ash, you really did.  We really are moms and you really are a rockstar.  I can't even begin to explain how much I love you both."_

_"The feeling's mutual, Ali.  A hundred percent."_

* 

_The next day Ashlyn stared at her sleeping baby before they made the necessary preparations to leave the hospital.  Ali was cradling him in her arms, gazing lovingly into his slumbering face, and Ash decided now to snap a picture of the two and share their addition with the world of Instagram._

_'If I seem more vulnerable now than I used to, it's because I now wear my heart outside my body.  I never could have fathomed how deep a heart can feel or how connected a soul could be to another soul.  World, meet Wilson Blaine Harris.  Baby boy, your Mommy and I couldn't be more proud #myloves #babyHarris'_

_She smiled when she hit 'post' and cherished this moment so she could remember it always._

~  
  
"I sometimes can't believe how big he's getting, even though I've been so tired ever since we brought him home that it feels like we've had him forever," Ashlyn yawned out as she entered her and Ali's room minutes later.

"I know exactly what you mean.  How can they grow so quickly, but at the same time you can't remember a time before them?" Ali pondered.

"Beats me.  All I know is I'm more than ready to crash.  And look, we even made it to 8:45," she noted triumphantly.

Ali laughed heartily.  "Small victories."

"A victory is a victory.  And anything can be one of you make it one."

"Even old women bedtimes," Ali teased.  However, even as the words left her mouth, a yawn escaped and she tried to stifle it, but not before Ashlyn witnessed it.

"See, you can't fool me.  Besides, you were getting ready for bed before I came up here."  She winked and slipped into her sleepwear.

Ali scooted down to lay on the bed and open the sheets for Ash.  "Will you cuddle me?" she asked coyly.

And Ashlyn could never resist that face or that request.  "Of course I will, baby."

Crawling into the bed, she indicated for Ali to turn around and settled against her back with her left arm wrapped around Ali's middle.  She rested her hand on the more and more protruding belly of her five-month pregnant wife, laying a kiss to her neck as she did so.

"I thought I was in the less tiring trimester.  The sweet spot of pregnancy.  Why do I still get so exhausted so easily?" Ali wondered while she yawned again and interlaced her fingers with those on her abdomen.

"Well, it isn't a hard set rule or anything."

"Didn't you get more energy by this point?"

"I mean, sure.  But, again not every woman is the same - not even every pregnancy is.  Besides," Ashlyn added around a yawn of her own.  "I didn't also have a toddler to chase around all day, every freakin' day."

A smile graced Ali's face as she squeezed the tattooed arm tighter.  "That's very true.  You so got it easier.  Tell me again why we planned it this way?"

"I can't remember right now.  Too tired.  Goodnight, I love you, my princess.  And you too, little princess," she directed at Ali's stomach.

Ali chuckled to herself and turned her face to give Ashlyn a goodnight kiss.  As their lips met, she whispered, "I love you too, my love."

"My first love," she emphasized and they both drifted off contentedly in each other's arms.  
  


**Author's Note:**

> There's a hint of an Easter Egg in here. I trust, knowing this fandom, people won't be hard pressed to find it. But, go ahead and let me know if you spot it :)  
> I hope everyone enjoyed this result of a cuddle session with my almost-two-year-old nephew last night!


End file.
